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Mira Mesa DUI Focus on Saturation Patrols

On behalf of The Law Offices of Mark Deniz APLC posted in DUI Cases on Thursday, October 31, 2013.

Law Enforcement is utilizing “Saturation Patrols” rather than sobriety checkpoints more often. It helps beef up police presence and ultimately brings in ample revenue due to increased traffic citations given. DUI saturation greatly affect the members of the impacted community both good and bad (and usually without their knowledge). An initial analysis of a good DUI defense is to find out whether the officer was on patrol as part of a DUI saturation detail.

Law Enforcement Perspective - Primary MIssion of Mira Mesa DUI Saturation Patrols: The primary focus for officers during Mira Mesa saturation patrols is to find impaired drivers by observing changes in driving behaviors. The behaviors most often assessed are: lane deviation, following too closely, and/or speeding (Greene, 2003). The intention of this heavier police presence is to increase motorists’ perception that they will be arrested if they drive drunk. Saturation patrols are legal and do not present many legal issues beyond those associated with routine traffic stops. Measured in arrests per working hour, these blanket patrols are viewed by some as the most effective method of apprehending drunken drivers (Greene, 2003). Many police departments favor them over sobriety checkpoints for their effectiveness, reduced staffing, and the comparative ease of operating saturation patrols.

Reality: In practice, DUI Saturation comes with a price for the people who live in the saturated community. This includes people who live in the Mira Mesa community (San Diego). Why? Because in Mira Mesa DUI saturation, investigations officers are looking to make a traffic stop for the slightest violation To them, that observation is their first sign of possible impairment. Instead of an objective analysis of their observations, EVERY action a vehicle makes outside the norm is possibly due to impairment. When they approach the drivers window, they are not going to contact the driver and note observations that may show impairment, but are approaching with a “tell me why you are NOT DUI” mentality. More drivers in Mira Mesa get detained and investigated when in most other instances they would not. Furthermore, Mira Mesa DUI saturation patrols result in more tickets for Mira Mesa drivers. The police will stop you for rolled stop signs, no seatbelt, a slight drift in the other lane, and other infractions that police may normally drive by in other community.

So what does this mean?: In exchange for less DUIs on the street, the citizens of Mira Mesa will have to endure more stops by police. More in the Mira Mesa community will have to go through DUI evaluation and Field Sobriety tests even when they are not impaired because the police are looking to arrest. While the saturation patrols are legal, the citizens of Mira Mesa will ultimately get more traffic tickets than other communities because the police are looking to stop you for the slightest traffic violation. That is the purpose those officers are on patrol that day….it is their mandate and mindset…to them it is their first clue to a DUI. This means the Mira Mesa community may be safer because more DUI drivers will be stopped….but at what price?

So, next time you are driving down Mira Mesa Blvd and see a heavy police presence. Some of the officers are just on normal patrol….while others are there just looking for you to make the slightest traffic infraction to give them the reason to pull you over and conduct a DUI investigation. Be prepared.

Hire a Proactive, affordable, and quality defense when you are facing San Diego DUI charges. Whether you have been charged of a San Diego DUI, Poway DUI, La Mesa DUI, Santee DUI, Mission Valley DUI, Clairemont DUI, Point Loma DUI, La Jolla DUI, Carmel Valley DUI, Mira Mesa DUI, Pacific Beach DUI, Del Mar DUI, Carmel Valley DUI, Encinitas DUI, Oceanside DUI, Escondido DUI, Vista DUI, San Marcos DUI, Carlsbad DUI, El Cajon DUI it is vital you need to hire an attorney who knows how to defend your rights and can determine if the government can prove their case. Contact the Law Office of Mark Deniz now for a free case evaluation.

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